Each year, approximately
25,000 people attempt to climb the 5,895 meter Mount Kilimanjaro - Africa’s
highest summit and the world’s highest free-standing mountain – around half
of whom don’t succeed at reaching the summit. Although the climbing motives may
change, almost everyone wants to reach the summit.
Many elements
contribute to the success or failure of summiting Mt Kili: how physically and
mentally prepared you are, the gear you’re using, the professionalism of the
tour operator, the days spent on the mountain, and quite importantly, the route
you choose.
Today, there are seven
treaded routes up Kilimanjaro to choose from, and well, all roads lead to the
summit. Although there is no ultimate ‘best’ or ‘worst’ choice – only the best
suited for your capacity – you need to bear in mind the cost, length, and difficulty
of the trail among other variations.
Still overwhelmed and
don’t know where to start? Here’s a breakdown of the different routes up
Kilimanjaro for an easier, clearer decision making process.
1. Marangu Route
Horombo Hut in Kilimanjaro Park. Credit: Thorsten Hansen. Source: Flickr
Difficultly: Medium
Duration: 5-6 days
Summiting success
rate: Low
About the trail:
Taking on Kili from
the south-east side, the Marangu trail is one of the oldest, most established
trails on the mountain. It is also known as the ‘Coca-Cola’ route because it’s
the only trail where you can buy soft drinks and candy bars.
Having grown a
reputation for being the easiest route, Marangu trail attracts more tourists
than well prepared trekkers (granting it its other nickname, the ‘tourist’
route), which partially explains the low summiting success rate.
Pros:
The reason Marangu is
perceived as an easy route is because it gains elevations quite steadily and
gradually – that is of course only true until a day before the summit day.
Being the only route
that offers dormitory style huts, Marangu trail is heaven-sent for hikers who
unwaveringly refuse to camp out in the wilderness. Mind you, all you’re really
getting is a mattress and a pillow; don’t expect anything fancier.
The huts also come in
handy in the wet season, shielding you from any rains.
With camping being
banned on this trail, you get to trek with less equipment, which means you need
fewer porters accompanying you, reducing the overall cost of the climb.
Cons:
Despite being one of
the least scenic routes, Marangu trail hosts around 40% of the trekkers. If you
decide to climb up the Marangu trail, you should expect heavy traffic. What
makes the traffic even denser is that it’s the only route that goes up and down
the same path.
Another reason why
some people will steer away from Marangu is that after the steady, gradual
elevation gain, the last day before the summit day gains steep elevation that
take you to a 1000 m elevation in one day, followed by another 1200 m to the
summit the following day.
With very little time
to rest and properly acclimatize, many hikers back down before the summit
because of altitude sickness. However, opting for the six-day option could
enhance your chances at making it to the summit.
2. Machame Route
Camping at Machame Camp. Credit: Hazem Eissa
Difficultly: High
Duration: 6-7 days
Summiting success
rate: High
About the trail:
As opposed to its
counterpart, the ‘Coca-Cola’ trail, the Machame trail is known as the ‘whiskey’
trail, denoting its higher difficulty. Departing from the south-west side of
the mountain, the trail follows the Southern Circuit, following Barafu and
Stella Point to reach Uhuru peak, and then descends through the Mweka route –
which is only used for descent.
Pros:
A wise thing to do is
to go for the seven-day plan, which ensures your pre-summit day is short enough
to rest and acclimatize. You should know by now what that means; better chances
at summiting!
Walking you through
the Shira Plateau, the Lava Tower, and the Barranco Wall, the Machame route is
one of the most scenic trails on Kili, which is certain to make the effort
worthwhile.
Cons:
With even more crowds
than on the Marangu trail, Machame trail is the favored choice for 45% of the
Kili climbers. It gets even busier at the Barranco camp where the Shira, Umbwe,
and Lemosho routes intersect with the Machame route.
Even though it’s not
technically hard, it’s strenuous. Unlike the steady, gradual slope of the
Marangu route, the Machame route follows a succession of ups and downs that
take you through several valleys and ridges.
3. Rongai Route
On the way from Mawenzi Tarn Camp to the Kibo Hut Camp. Credit: The Mufindi Children's Project
Difficulty: Medium
Duration: 6-7 days
Summiting success
rate: High
About the trail:
The Rongai route is the
only route that ascends Kili from the northern side, followed by a descent on
the opposite side via the Marangu route on the south-east. This north to south
path takes its treaders through different sides of the mountain.
Pros:
The north face of Kili
tends to be a lot drier, giving the Rongai route an advantage in the wet
season, which could be an excellent way to avoid the rain during the first few
days of the climb.
Similar to Marangu,
Rongai also gains gradual and steady elevation, sparing you the trouble of any
steep climbs.
Unlike Marangu and
Machame, only 5% of the Kili climbers choose Rongai. Not only does this mean
you get to enjoy some quiet, but also that there’s a slight chance you could
spot some wildlife.
Cons:
With less demand on
the trail comes less supply, which makes this trail a costly one. One common
feature of less treaded trails is that budget operators are very unlikely to
operate on them.
Although the Rongai
route goes from the north face to the south face of the mountain, it is not a
very scenic trail. However, right beneath the Mawenzi Peak, the trail graces
you with one of the best views on the mountain.
4. Shira Route
Karanga Camp. Source: Wikimedia Commons
Difficultly: High
Duration: 6-7 days
Summiting success
rate: High (especially if you
give yourself a night at Karanga valley, giving you a short, easy day before
shooting for the summit.)
About the trail:
The Shira route
departs on the southern side of Kilimanjaro, joining Machame route at Barranco
camp. With different variations to the route, a clever tour operator will be
able to manage the stops and camping sites in a way that avoids the Machame
route crowds as much as possible.
Pros:
The Shira route has
one of the lightest traffics on Kilimanjaro, with only 1% of the climbers
choosing it.
Cons:
The Shira route kicks
off quite differently from other routes. On the first day, the trail follows a
four-wheel drive track, which you can either walk (not a very attractive route
to walk), or you cross in a car until the highest point possible.
The drive option means
skipping the rainforest area, and quickly rapidly reaching an altitude of 3600
m. If you’re not used to high altitudes, the lack of proper acclimatization
could cause you altitude sickness.
Similar to other unpopular routes, the Shira route is rather expensive.
5. Lemosho Route
Hiking to Mti Mkubwa. Credit: deLeon Strong
Difficultly: High
Duration: 6-8 days
Summiting success
rate: High
About the trail:
Considered to be a
modified version of the Shira route, the two trails share plenty of features,
including joining the Machame route at the Barranco camp. However, unlike the
Shira route, the first couple of days on the Lemosho route take you through a remote
rainforest where you can get a real feel of Kilimanjaro’s unscathed nature.
Pros:
Falling on the less
treaded routes end, Lemosho is often favored for its sparse traffic, with only
8% of the Kili climbers choosing it. With less traffic comes higher chances of
encountering wildlife, which may still not be that high, but not impossible.
While it may not be
the most scenic route of all seven, the Lemosho trail is still known for its
spectacular scenery and panoramic views.
Cons:
Justified by the many
merits that make the Lemosho route appealing, it comes at a higher price than many
of its alternative routes, especially because of its length and little
popularity.
6. Umbwe Route
Barranco Camp. Source: MaxPixel
Difficultly: High
Duration: 5-7 days
Summiting success
rate: Medium
About the trail:
The Umbwe route is
known as the steepest and most direct route. Before a 2006 accident, the route
traditionally followed the Western Breach, whereas now, it joins the Machame
route on the second night, following the Southern Circuit instead, and then
descends via the Mweka route.
Similar to the Machame
route, the Umbwe route departs from the south-west side of the mountain,
breathing in the serenity of the rainforest before joining the Machame crowds.
Pros:
The Umbwe route is not
a technical one, however it is very physically demanding.
Cons:
Like other trails that
offer a five-day plan, five days on the Umbwe route will not give you enough
time to acclimatize properly, which will put you at risk of altitude sickness.
Furthermore, given the
route’s terrain, it is considered the most demanding route, which requires
previous trekking and climbing experience.
7. Northern Circuit Route
Camping on Shira Plateu. Credit: Eric Andrews. Source: Flickr
Difficulty: High
Duration: 9-11 days
Summiting success
rate: High
About the trail:
The North Circuit
route is the newest and longest trail on the Mt Kili. At the beginnings, the
North Circuit route follows the Lemosho route, but instead of following it
around the western circuit, it traverses instead around the northern circuit,
taking an almost 360 degrees view of the mountain.
Pros:
Far from the various
routes that traverse around the southern circuit, walking the northern circuit
is guaranteed to be quiet and serene.
And because it’s the
longest trail on Mt Kili, it gives its trekkers the longest duration to
acclimatize, which boosts the chances of reaching Uhuru Peak.
Cons:
The Northern Circuit route is among the most expensive routes due to the long days on the mountain, and accordingly the length crossed.
If you wish to trek Mt Kili with Wild Guanabana, learn more about our Machame trip here , or the Lemosho trip here.
